• Farmers will have to have GPS monitoring on their farms and electronic ID of every animal. They will have to pay for all of this chipping and monitoring, driving up their costs and dramatically increasing the cost of food at the market and the grocery store. Small farmers and homesteaders who simply raise their own food will risk heavy non-compliance fines if they do not purchase the expensive equipment or will be driven out of business. Yes, the USDA is offering up to 14.3 million dollars in funding to aid with the first phase of compliance - but that is not nearly enough to cover the costs to register all of the facilities in this country.
• The NAIS plan also covers animals that are raised for purposes other than food, such as llamas and horses. This is in direct contradiction to the stated goals.

If the government really wants to implement new legislation to protect consumers, they might address: the importation of animals from outside the US and the unhealthy but still legal practices in factory farms such as housing many animals together in small spaces, giving them lots of antibiotics, and feeding animal waste and slaughterhouse byproducts back to animals. It is these practices that will allow for the rapid spread of diseases such as bird flu (and other super-germs) and mad cow disease.

For a more in depth look at the implications of NAIS, please read Walter’s excellent Sugar Mountain Farm blog. Then, and most importantly, please help spread the word about this harmful legislation! Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Write to your local and federal representatives and senators. Like much of the more sinister legislation that is being proposed, the backers of NAIS are trying to get it passed without any media coverage or public comment.

Note that the NAIS is a Federal plan that has not been passed yet. Wisconsin has already passed similar legislation. We must speak up before this becomes a nation-wide law.

Editor’s Note: Walter Jeffries has established a website to keep up with NAIS-related information around the country.

It is not only gross, it is illegal. Below is the information from Section 8-210 [PDF] entitled “DEFECATION.”

(a) The person in control of any dog which defecates in a public park, walkway, sidewalk, street, public way, playground, cemetery, school grounds, state property or on private property shall remove such material immediately and dispose of it in a sanitary manner. This provision shall not apply to private property used without objection of the property owner or to off-trail, wooded areas of public parks.

A month ago we were yellled at by one business person because he was fed up with people’s dogs crapping on the property. At the time I was picking up after someone else’s dog, but any attempt I made to explain this to the person fell on deaf ears—and blind eyes since I was obviously picking up a mess and not abandoning one. But I understand his frustrations.

Since that event I have made an effort to have a baggie in view as I wander around mumbling “go potty” to my companions, simply because I hate the looks of those people who also are fed up with the messes left behind in Mont-poo-lier.

We continued to the platform to wait for a train and a few seconds later the tourist I spoke to, and his 2 pre-teen daughters, walked near us and I smiled at them. The gentleman said “sorry, we’re not from around here.” I replied “I assumed as much, which is why I was trying to be nice and let you know before you got downtown and someone wasn’t so nice.”

What he said next stunned me.

“You weren’t nice.”

“Excuse me?” I said. “The woman in front of me may not have been nice, but I believe I was very polite,” and I repeated exactly what I said to him. He nodded, but it seemed to me that what I was saying was going in one ear and out the other.

All the while, his daughters scowled at me.

I could have easily titled this “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” but I am trying very hard to stay positive.

And that’s because: Once you have a kid, it’s like going camping every day. Every day! Did we pack the diapers? The two extra changes of clothes? Rain gear? Sun gear? Wipes, lotions, ointment? Bottles, snacks, juice? Toys, blankets, shoes, hat and mittens? Can we even fit the baby in the stroller with all that other stuff?

And it’s not just for a year or two, or even three. Having kids is like signing up for camp for at least the next 16 years of your life! Sure, they’ll lose the diapers and wet naps and blankets, but that will be replaced with books, homework, more toys and games, art supplies, sports equipment, ballet shoes, karate uniforms and everything else kids need for school and fun.

Granted, I realize that hauling around a ton of crap everywhere you go may be the least of most parent’s worries. They probably spend a lot more time making sure their kids are developing into smart, healthy, well-adjusted human beings. But it’s something I think about every time I see a lone parent struggle onto the Metro, with a toddler in an overburdened stroller, an infant strapped to their chest, a backpack stuffed to the gills, and a separate diaper bag to boot. No wonder most parents pack their kids off to camp for a few weeks every summer!

Bug season. More specifically, cricket season.

I am sure many of you are thinking “What the heck is cricket season, you mad freak?” Well, cricket season is that time of year when crickets who live outside start to wiggle their way inside. Once inside, they proceed to rub their wings together at the most inopportune times—such as when you are trying to sleep!

Last night we were taunted by one particularly loud bugger who was well protected by the radiator. After about 10 minutes of trying to find him we gave up and dragged our cranky asses to the futon, defeated and exhausted.

It is hard to blame the stupid little insects though. Apparently they are able to tune themselves out!

Wish we could the same.

However, since we can’t, we are going to make the cricket a little cocktail.

• Ignore them
• Rant and rave
• Do something

I am usually one to follow option number two, but some friends of mine are much smarter than I and chose option number three.

They came across the Web site of the popular Let’s Go travel guides, and saw that the city they lived in and loved was being described in terms better reserved for urban war zones. Even going so far as to insinuate that anyone who ventures east of 14th Street should beware to avoid the crossfire of turf warring crackheads with assault rifles.

However, instead of simply writing the publishers to complain, they decided to start their own guide for both visitors to the city as well as residents. The result? our-dc.

Ivory Coast is the world’s biggest grower of cocoa!

That’s right. Our chocolate supply is in jeopardy and no one—not even Al Gore—is saying anything about it. Do our politicians care so little about us that they will not bomb the Ivory Coast into little chocolate chips so that the price of chocolate doesn’t go through the roof before Christmas?!

I mean, sure, the United States and France have sent troops to evacuate their citizens but, as near as I can tell, there has been no effort whatsoever to protect our vital chocolate interests in the region. For goodness sake, think of the children!

I fear the terrorists may have already won.

Take for instance the gauntlet one must traverse in order to even get to the poll. It is like the scene in Airplane! when Captain Kramer— played by Robert Stack—is walking through the airport being accosted by folks who want to give him a flower; solicit for Reverend Moon; help Jerry’s Kids; avoid nuclear power; read about Jehovah’s witnesses or pontificate about Jews for Jesus. It can get crazy. People working for specific candidates see this as their last chance to ingrain their candidate’s name in the mind of the voter, and they will holler that name at you up until you cross that magic line where electioneering is prohibited.

But it’s not over yet. Then you have to get past the children. Yes, the children. The children aren’t pushing a candidate, but they are pushing. They are pushing treats. They want your dollar to help raise money for their various and numerous extracurricular activities, and they will use any trick they can to get you to show them the money.

“Doughnuts! Don’t forget to buy some doughnuts to take to your office tomorrow! Mmmmmmm gooooood!”

“You sure look thirsty, mister! Would you like to buy a cold drink before you vote?!”

If you survive the electioneers and the children then you get to vote. And more importantly, you get to watch other people vote. Or at least try.

I witnessed at least one clueless person who insisted that the voting machine she used was broken because it didn’t display candidates for governor for her. When the helpful volunteer tried to explain the concept of a closed primary and how the touch-screen system doesn’t display candidates for whom one is not eligible to vote, this woman’s eyes glazed over until she eventually got mad and stormed out—without voting.

While it is unfortunate that this woman didn’t know which type of primary is used in Maryland, it is also regrettable that she should need to know. Primaries should be open. Closed primaries are just another tool of the two major parties to control elections and who can be elected. Combine this with closed debates and one can easily understand why more and more Americans consider themselves independents. Trouble is that as independents they actually have less influence on the process because of the stranglehold the Democrats and Republicans have on the system. A Catch-22 if I ever saw one.

Hmmmm. Maybe voting isn’t the greatest freedom Americans enjoy after all.